All purpose firefighting nozzle



Jan. 21, 1958 R. F. cLEAvEs ALL PURPOSE FIREFIGHIING NOZZLE Filed July16, 1954 FIG. 2.

INVEN TOR. ROYDON F. 'CLEAVES ATTORNEYS Unite tas ALL PURPGSEFIREFIGHTING NOZZLE Roydon F. Cleaves, Falls Church, Va.

Application July 16, 1954, Serial No. 443,979

Claims. (E31. 299-444) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. (lode (1952), see.266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by orfor the Government of the United States of America for governmentalpurposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates to an improvement in combination hosenozzles of the type used for fire fighting purposes. A common type ofnozzle commonly used to fight fires is a dual purpose nozzle having avalve incorporated therein so that a solid stream of water or a fog maybe obtained at the will of the operator. It is Well known that a solidstream of water applied to an oil fire will spread or scatter theburning oil with disastrous results. The dual purpose nozzle accordingto the present invention is designed to prevent accidental applicationof a solid stream to an oil fire, the term oil including anylighter-than-water inflammable liquid.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a safety featurefor dual purpose fire fighting nozzles.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a dual purposefire fighting nozzle which is convenient and easy to operate, the nozzlehaving a simple safety means that prevents accidental shifting to solidstream operation and the resultant hazards thereof.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide safety features fordual purpose fire fighting nozzles with a minimum of modification ofstandard and existing equipment.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this inventionwill be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood byreference to the following detailed description when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a top-plan view, partly in section, of a dual-purpose,fire-fighting nozzle embodying the safety feature according to theinvention;

vFigure 2 is a sectional view of the nozzle of Figure 1, takensubstantially along the line 22 of Figure l; and

Figure 3 is a detail view of a portion of the nozzle structure of Figure1 showing a positive positioning or movement-limiting means which formsa portion of the safety device constructed in accordance with the invention, this figure being in section substantially along the line 33 ofFigure l.

The nozzle structure to which the present invention is applied is onewhich is broadly old and well known in the prior art. It consists of adual-purpose nozzle equipped with a three-way valve structure forcontrol purposes. The nozzle has a single inlet fitting adapted to beattached to a hose, and a pair of outlets. One of the outlets isequipped with a fog-producing nozzle, while the other is shaped to forma solid stream. The body of the nozzle structure between the inlet andoutlets houses a three-Way valve structure which may be of thecylindrical plug or spherical stop type. This valve may be used'to shutthe water as or to direct its flow to either of the above-describedoutlets.

Referring now to the drawings, the nozzle structure generally designatedby the numeral 11 is formed of a body casting 13 and a hose end casting15 which are joined to form the nozzle structure, as 'by threads formedon the two castings at 17. The hose end casting 15 is equipped withthreads 14 and a gasket 16 for attachment to a hose. The body casting 13houses a valve structure comprising a spherical member or ball 19 havinga bore 2i) therethrough. The ball 19 cooperates with a ball seat 21 inthe body casting 13 and a rear seat '23 in the casting 15. The seats 21and 23 are in grooves machined :in their respective castings, and areformed of rubber, neoprene or similar materials and are cemented inplace. The spherical or ball member 19 is mounted upon a handle shaft 25which passes through the body 13 and is supported in a s'tufiing boxincluding a packing nut 27. The structure of the stuffing box is wellknown in the art and is not shown in the drawing. 7

The body 13 has a fog outlet bore 29 and a solid stream bore 31 locatedtherein. The fog bore 29 terminates in an enlarged counterbore 33 havinga fog tip 35 mounted therein. The bore 31 is internally shaped to pass asolid stream of water. These details are well known in the art and neednot be more specifically described herein.

The handle shaft 25 has a side or arm of an operating handle 37 amxedthereto by a suitable means such as a tapered pin 39. The handle has arod or cross piece 40 as a hand grip. The other side or arm of theoperating handle 37 is pivoted upon a stud or boss 41 formed upon thebody casting 13. Movement of the handle 37 turns the ball or valvemember '19. The operating handle 37 is shown in solid lines in the shutor ofi position with its two other alternative positions fog and openindicated in dotted lines in Figure 2. It will be apparent from thesectional. view that with the handle 37 in the fog position, the bore2:? in the spherical member or ball 19 forms a communicating passagebetween the inlet and the fog outlet bore 29. Similarly, with the handlein the open position, the bore 20 connects the inlet with the solidstream bore 31.

It has been the practice in the prior art to place a spring-pressed"ball detent member in the operating handle cooperating With the indexholes in the body 13 to indi cate to the operator by feel when thehandle was located in each of the three possible positions. The detentmeans formed only a position indicator and was not a positive stop.Particularly when the nozzles were used by personnel not thoroughlytrained in their use and under conditions of stress the detent mechanismallowed an operator inadvertently to pull the handle through the fogposition to the open position of the valve. In the case of oil orgasoline fires particularly this becomes very dangerous. Such fires whenhit by a solid stream of water are scattered and create additionalhazards both to property and personnel.

The handle 37 used in the present invention is moditied with a verysimple but positive positioning or movement limiting mechanism obviatingthe above hazard. Referring to Figure 1, the body casting is machinedwith a fiat face or surface 43 surrounding and perpendicular to the axisof the boss 41. The body casting 13 is drilled perpendicularly to thesurface 43 to provide a plurality of openings bounded by wall portionscooperating with a key means, to limit the valve movement. Specifically,three openings 45 corresponding in number to the three operatingpositions of the valve indicated in Figure 2, are provided.

The key means comprises a key 47 adapted to be placed into and removedfrom the openings in an exceptionally easy manner. To this end, athumb-actuated member in the operating handle 37 is provided which isconvenient to the thumb of an operator grasping the grasp rod 40 of thehandle 37, and is shown best in Figure 1. Que

side of the operating handle comprises a radial arm 48 which is hollowedout to form a recess 49 therein. A lever. 50. member-is mounted in therecess 49. on a pivot member .51" which may be afpin' or ascrewextending a cover plate 57 which is secured to the handle as byscrews 59 engaging tanned holes in the handle proper. The cover plate isshorter thanthe recess 49 and leaves 1 an opening at onetend thereofthrough which the thumb piece 55 protrudes in a location at the side andend of the operating handle 37 for convenient access by the operator. V

The cylindrical key 47 protrudes from the portion of operating handle 37whichbear's against the flat surface 43.

- A coil spring 61 is placed in a bore 63 at an end of recess 49 in thegrasp rod 4-0 which meets the recess 49. The coil spring 61 engagesthelever 50 in such a manner as to force the thumb piece 55 outwardly ofthe handle structure, and to force the cylindrical key member 47 intoengagement with one of the openings 45. In the position shown, key 47 isin engagement with the shut opening 45 and it will be apparent that thehandle 37 is thus positively positioned in the shut position and cannotturn about the boss 41.

When it is desired to shift the position of the valve, the thumb piece55 is depressed to cause the lever member 50 to pivot about member 51 tomove the key 47 from shut opening 45. The handle may then be rotatedso'the key clears this opening and then the thumb piece may be released.The operating handle may be rotated until the next operating position ofthe valve is reached. At this point the key 47 willride along thesurface 43 until itreaches the next opening 45 into which the spring 61will force the key 47 to again fix the position of the operating handle.

From the above explanation, it will be apparent that the firefighterapproaching an oil tire with the improved nozzle structure according tothe invention can position the valve for operation ,in the desiredposition in which it remains until forcibly and intentionally movedtherefrom by the firefighter. During operation of the equipment, theelement 53 and each receptacle or opening 45 cooperate to positivelyposition'the handle 37, and to prevent accidental shifting of the handlefrom its set position. Only through deliberate action of the firefightercan the valve be moved from one positive position to the other becausethe wall portions of the receptacles45 act as stop or holding meanslimiting movement of element 53 beyond its set positionhence providingpositive positioning. The valve position stays positive and cannot heaccidentally jarred out of its positive position determined by the wallportions.

'Obviously many modifications and variations of the presentinvention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise thanas specifically described.

What is claimed is: 7

4 1. -An-.all purpose firefighting nozzle comprising a body sectionhaving a water inlet passage and a plurality of outlet bores therein, afog nozzle secured at the outlet end of 'oneof said outlet bores, arotary valve member located in said body section between said waterinlet passage and said outlet bores, and adapted in various positionsthereof to selectively connect said water inlet passageto said outletbores, an operating handle means located exteriorly of said body'sectionand mechanically connected to said rotary valve member, said handlemeans having a hand grip rod, a positive valve-positioning meanscomprising a pivoted lever having oppositely'directed end portions, afirst of said end portions comprising a key, said valve positioningmeans also comprising a plurality of s aced key-receivin g opening meansinterposed between said operating handle means and said body sectioneffective to selectively positionsaid valve means, the second of saidend portions comprising a separate finger-pressable means at said handgrip rod for releasing said key from an associated opening.

2. An all purpose firefi hting nozzle comprising a main body sectionhaving an internal valve section, an inlet passage at one side of saidvalve section and a pair of distinct outlet passa es at another side ofsaid valve section, a valve member infsaid valve section; movable} tothree positions in a first of which the nozzle is closed, in a second ofwhich said inlet passage is in communication with a firstof said outletpassages, and in.a third of which it is in communication with'the secondof said outlet passages. an operating handle means connected to saidvalve member for movin said member selectively to any one of saidpositions, said handle means comprising a transverse hand grasp rod anda radial arm extending from said hand grasp rod to said body section,said arm having a sidewise outwardly facing longitudinal recess, a leverin said recess having a bent end forming a key bent toward said bodysection, said body section being provided with a smooth portion on whichsaid key can slide, said smoothportion having a, plurality of spacedholes corresponding with said positions, and manually releasable biasmeans associated with said lever and biasing said key toward said holes.h

3. A firefighting nozzle as defined in claim 2 but further characterizedby a top plate substantially covering said recess.

4. An all purpose firefighting nozzle comprising a main body sectionhaving an internal valve section, an inlet passage to one side of saidvalve section and apair of distinct outlet passages at another side ofsaid valve section, a rotary valve member in said valve section androtatable about an axis to three positions in a first of which thenozzle is closed, in a second of which said in let passage is incommunication with a first of said outlet passages, and in a third ofwhich it is in communication with the second of said outlet passages,anoperating handle exteriorly of said body section having a transversehand grasp rod and a pair of radial arms extending from said hand grasprod to the sides of said body section, said body section having anexternal boss rotatably receiving a first of said arms, said valvemember having a shaft extending through said body section and rotatablyreceiving the other of said arms, said first arm having a longitudinalrecess having a first opening-extension-a't one end directed toward saidbody portion and a second opening-extension at the other end, a lever insaid recess, said lever having bent ends in said opening-extensions, afirst of said bent ends providing a key, said body section beingprovided with spaced holes corresponding with said positions, fulcrummeans betwen said ends for said lever,-

and biasing means biasing said key toward said holes, the second of saidbent ends comprising a thumbpiece operable to overcome said biasingmeans.

5. A firefighting nozzle as defined in claim'4 but further characterizedby a top plate substantially covering said recess except for saidthumbpiece.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS943,838 Miller Dec. 21, 1909 961,466 Shade June 14, 1910 1,466,760Schribner Sept. 4, 1923 1,581,430 Edmunds Apr. 20, 1926 2,043,714Schellin June 9, 1936 2,484,942 Guise Oct. 18, 1949 2,806,741 Fishelsonet a1. Sept. 17, 1957

